


Big Business

by writteninweakness



Category: Amnesia (Game & Anime), Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkwardness, Cats, Crossover, F/M, Female Friendship, Friendship, Gen, Male Friendship, Pre-Relationship, Slow Burn, Some Humor, Some Plot, can hopefully be enjoyed as is even if i never manage to get back to it someday, incomplete au fic posted as something of a one-shot, originally posted on tumblr but i don't have a tumblr anymore, the relationships were endgame but didn't quite get there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21574339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writteninweakness/pseuds/writteninweakness
Summary: When Jumin's father exiles him to Japan after an unfortunate rumor starts, he begins to develop a new division for his company and learn what real friendship and love is.
Relationships: Han Jumin/Main Character, Heroine/Kent (Amnesia)
Kudos: 3





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> This crossover started in part because of Sofihatter545, in part because I'd just replayed Jumin's route and got mad at his "friends" again, and in third because I love putting my favorite fandoms together. I did sort of do this with Amnesia and Mystic Messenger before, but it was a far sillier piece, and this was an attempt at making the two worlds work together in a more serious way.
> 
> Then I reached the conclusion, again, that social media and I don't mix well, and I deleted my tumblr for the sake of my mental health. I had this posted there, though it's incomplete right now, and I am slowly working on adding all fics in that circumstance here since my tumblr is gone.
> 
> The first part of this flows together well. The rest jumps around a bit.
> 
> Miyu is another _kirakira_ name I've chosen to use. It can mean “beautiful kindness” (美優) or “beautiful connection” (美結), which seemed fitting for the Mystic Messenger MC, who is part-Korean, part-Japanese in this universe. The heroine from Amnesia is Kokoa, which means "heart's love" and is a Japanese word for cocoa. That actually comes into play in this story.

* * *

This is not a punishment, _his father said, placing his hand on his shoulder._ It is just that you may be more comfortable here until those rumors die down.

_Jumin lifted the wine glass to his lips and sipped from it, trying to shut out those words. Though his father had repeated the first sentiment several times, it did not lessen the sting of his actions. Not even factoring in the latest woman in his father’s life made that possible. He had never given his father any reason to doubt him, his department was always productive and efficient, no matter how much his assistant had complained about his projects related to cats._

_And yet he’d been told to stay behind and develop the business here, in a completely different country. Though it was not a punishment, it was no reward. Jumin knew better than that. This wasn’t about his comfort. It was about his father’s. He had no shame when it came to the women in his life, but when it came to a false report about his son, he rushed to hide that shame, sent it far away where it could not be seen—never bothering to ask him if it was true or not._

_Thanks to an ill-advised encounter with someone V knew, the proof certainly seemed to be there, and Jumin might well curse the name Luciel Choi for the rest of his life._

_A life he was now expected to spend in exile in Japan._

_He took another sip and closed his eyes. This was not his building, not his penthouse apartment. Though his father had given him enough funds to buy everything he had in Korea, it was not the same. He missed his gardens. He wanted his own bed._

_Even if he had all his furniture packed up and shipped here, it would not feel the same. He knew that. Even Elizabeth the third’s presence did not make this place feel much like home, though he was very grateful she had not had to stay up to the full hundred-eighty days he had been warned it might take for her to clear quarantine._

_She mewed, and he reached over to pet her head, trying to hold back another sigh. He did not wish to be pathetic, but his father’s actions deeply upset him. He did not even have anyone to talk to about them. V was busy, and Jumin had not been close to anyone besides his father. Even his latest assistant was new, so he did not know her well. Elizabeth was all he had._

_“Those rumors were not even true,” Jumin said, and she patted her paw at him, looking as though she wished to comfort him. He sighed and looked down at the papers in his hands. Tomorrow he had to continue his attempts to hire someone for the new division, but so far the candidates had not been promising. He could speak Japanese, so he did not require a translator, but so far none of the applicants had any background with Korean, and more than that, their resumes were complete disappointments. It was as though the people his father had contacted to help staff the division were not interested in doing their jobs._

_Or perhaps they had heard the rumors and were not interested in working for Jumin because of them. He knew that the reports had gone ‘viral,’ and back in Korea he could not go anywhere without them asking him about it. Those women treated him as though that explained everything about his dealings with them when it did not._

_He picked up his phone and checked his messages. Nothing from V, no actual work to deal with because this division didn’t even exist._

_He needed more wine. Perhaps after enough of it, he might actually be able to fall asleep in this strange place and forget about what his father had done for a few hours._

* * *

“You seem preoccupied again.”

Jumin looked up from his paperwork, aware he could not deny that. He did not want to speak of what he’d been remembering just now, though he needn’t worry too much about someone prying into it. Though Assistant Kang no longer hated him quite as much as she had when she first learned she would be forced to stay with him in Japan, she would never ask, and neither would his other employees.

No, that was inaccurate. One might. He had a way of needling either of them into more speech than was generally necessary, but it was strangely not bothersome when he did it.

Still, he was not the one talking now.

“If you like, we can suspend the reports for today. I find there is little point in making one if one’s audience does not even want to hear it.”

“I assure you, Kent, I want to hear it,” Jumin said. He shook his head. His mind should not have wandered as it did just now. He’d been in an awkward, almost horrible place when his father left him here to found a division out of nothing, but that memory was not for here and now. “Your progress is essential to our success.”

“If these meetings are tedious, we do not need to have them. I do not need to waste your time.”

Jumin almost laughed. What else did he have but time? This was not like being the director he had been back in Korea. He supervised far fewer employees, and his daily paperwork was less than one quarter what it had been then. It helped that he had such efficient employees. Their work was almost always flawless and required little micromanagement, for all that Assistant Kang found some of their antics juvenile.

“Your reports are the highlight of my day.”

“Oh, now that is just sad, and I say that as Ken’s best friend,” Ikki said, coming into Jumin’s office. He didn’t knock, but then he rarely did, since he seemed to find it an amusing game to leave Kang flustered and go where he pleased, which tended to be wherever Kent was at the time, even if Jumin had hired Ikki as their accountant.

“Ikkyu,” Kent said, frowning at him. “You know that—”

“When are you two going to admit that my idea of group meetings would be far more entertaining as well as productive?”

“Perhaps if they were not an excuse to flirt with Ms. Kang—”

“You wound me. I am just making her feel appreciated since you two suck at being more than polite.” Ikki leaned on the edge of Jumin’s desk. “And since neither of you seems to understand the concept of lunch time, we’re going out to eat again.”

“We are not. That’s—”

“Proper nutrition is necessary,” Jumin said, missing the chef that used to prepare all of his meals. Kent seemed content to skip most of them if Ikki did not interfere, but Jumin would not if he still had access to his chef.

He needed to hire one, but he had yet to be able to do so. Somehow they were all unsatisfactory. In comparison with the various restaurants that Ikki found for them which had rather expanded Jumin’s palate, none of the chefs had sufficient skill.

“Ah ha, he’s got you there, Ken. And I found a special treat for today.”

“If this is another overpriced establishment—”

“We could call it a business lunch if need be, but as the bookkeeper around here, I know we can all afford it without breaking our budgets and do not need Jumin to buy it for us.”

“Ah. More food of the commoners. Interesting. What kind is it this time?”

Ikki just smiled, though Kang looked quite put out when Jumin called it that. Still, as soon as Ikki gave her a smile of her own, she lost her mood and would likely want to join them. He wished her voice was less irritating, but he supposed he might tolerate her presence on this excursion.

“I suddenly have the very uncomfortable conviction that you wish to make _me_ cook for everyone,” Kent said. “And while I can follow recipes, why would you want to waste our time on that?”

“You could be a professional chef, but no, I’m not trying to trick you into that. You’ll want the recipe after we go, but that’s not the same thing.”

“Ikkyu.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Jumin said, noticing another strange look on Kang’s face that he chose to ignore. “Shall we?”

* * *

“Welcome back, Masters. Mistress.”

Kokoa saw Miyu bowing to the customers that had just come through the door, and despite their familiarity, she forced herself to concentrate on her own work. The cafe felt busier than usual, though she doubted it was. Somehow days when Waka was off were far from the relief everyone said they’d be, as things never went quite as smoothly as when his watchful eye was on the cafe.

It didn’t help that so many of her coworkers had quit recently—Toma was the latest, having put in his notice when he couldn’t keep up with law school and work, but before him went Ikki and even though Kent had only had a shift or two here and there, he was gone, too. All that seemed to be left was her, Sawa, and Shin, and Shin was talking about cutting back his hours, too, to focus on his classes. With Mine on vacation, and Miyu so new to this she was still finding her way, Kokoa felt almost like she was working alone. Sawa would be in soon, but that didn’t make it feel any less hectic in here.

She set the cup on the table. “Is there anything else I can get you, Master?”

“I think you served me the wrong kind of cocoa,” the man said, and Kokoa felt sick to her stomach. She hated when people did that to her name. She knew what it sounded like, and she was really tired of that joke and the perverts that made it.

“That is the only kind we have, Master. I apologize for any confusion.” She bowed and backed away with the tray. Miyu looked flustered, and Kokoa wondered if Ikki’s glasses had slipped. They really didn’t have time for that.

She went over to their table. “Is everything to your liking, Masters?”

“We just got done trying to explain to the new girl she didn’t have to do that to us,” Ikki said. He leaned across the table. “Mine told my fan club all about some new dish Shin made, and since it’s been a while and I swear none of them would eat if I didn’t make them break for lunch, I decided we’d come try it out. That, and Jaehee might just be addicted to your coffee here, Kokoa.”

She shook her head. “I thought that was you, Ikki.”

“It is, and his statement about our failure to eat if he did not make us is erroneous. Ms. Kang already had her meal, and Mr. Han has yet to settle on a chef, but they do eat.”

“So it’s just you that doesn’t?” Kokoa asked Kent. “For someone who used to be our cook, that’s kind of strange.”

“Oh. That’s why they looked kind of familiar even though I’d never met them before. The staff picture in the back. That’s where I saw them before.” Miyu looked relieved to have figured it out. “That would have bothered me all day until I figured it out. Oh. Since they’re your friends, Kokoa, do you want this table?”

“I will gladly trade you table eight for this one,” Kokoa said, though it was hardly fair to pass over the pervert to her. “No, better make it seven. Eight’s a creep.”

“You need help with that?” Ikki asked, looking concerned. “I don’t see Waka or Toma—”

“Waka’s off today, but Shin’s in the kitchen. I’m fine. What did you want to drink?”

“If Shin is in the kitchen, I’ll take tea,” Kent said, and Ikki laughed, shaking his head. “Stop it, Ikkyu. I am not that much of a coffee snob, as you term it.”

“Oh, you are, Ken, but we forgive you. It definitely was better when you made it,” Ikki said with a grin. “Still, I’d like a coffee and Jaehee will as well. I think Jumin would want wine, but since that’s not on the menu, maybe one of those strawberry things that Waka was trying out last time we were here.”

Kokoa glanced toward the two newcomers. The woman seemed somewhat uncomfortable, and the man didn’t look like he belonged here at all.

“I’ll allow Ikki to pick this time,” the man said. “So far his efforts have been interesting if nothing else. I have greatly expanded my palate since coming to Japan.”

“I—Coffee,” the woman said, looking even more uncomfortable than before.

Ikki turned to her, speaking in another language, and she flushed red as she shook her head.

“Ikkyu, stop it. Not everything can be fixed by your flirting. In fact, very little can.” Kent looked a bit uncomfortable as well, and whatever else he said was also in the other language. She frowned, but then Ikki said something else to her, which had her smiling this time. The other man just watched them. She wondered if he found Ikki and Kent as strange as the rest of them did. They were smart but kind of weird. Funny, too, but… definitely odd.

“I’ll be back with the drinks soon,” she promised, leaving them to whatever conversation they were having in that other language.

* * *

Jaehee grimaced as soon as the waitresses left. This place was rather unique, and she would not have expected Mr. Han to enter it, though it would seem he had before or somewhere like it, since he was not bothered by them greeting him the way they had—as master, though perhaps that happened enough at home that he was used to it? Still, it was very strange to her, and she had been unable to get over it.

Or the idea of Ikki having been the one to say that. He was such a flirt she knew better than to think of him as anything else or spend much time on him, even if he sort of made up for being unable to see any new productions by that up and coming actor she’d started to favor. She thought he could perform as well as any actor given the drama he acted out with Kent over math, and he’d make any female costar swoon in a love scene.

She was not surprised to learn of his fan club, not at all. It was his occupation as their accountant that was far more surprising.

“I have to wonder at the need for cafes like this,” Mr. Han said. “Is this very popular?”

“I understand it is some kind of fetish.”

“It’s a chance for ordinary people to experience what it’s like to have servants, I guess, so maybe a bit of a power fantasy.”

Mr. Han frowned. “This is not what it is like having servants.”

If anyone should know, it was him, since his family had many, and she had often heard him accused of not being able to do a thing for himself. She knew that was not true, but he was usually driven by a chauffeur, his meals were prepared by a chef, and there had been several maids who kept his building clean prior to his change in residence.

Though she had been present when Mr. Chairman told Mr. Han this was not a punishment and to be proud in developing the new division, she had always felt like it was one, not just for herself but for Mr. Han, who had lost almost everything except his cat when he was abandoned here in Japan for the rumors about him to fade.

She had to wonder just how bad the state of his current residence was, since she had not been told to arrange for a maid, and she did not know if he had or not. Perhaps he was still in a hotel. That would be better. He would have access to meals and a cleaning staff there.

“Ikkyu is perhaps not incorrect in calling it a fantasy,” Kent said, shifting in his chair as though he could not get comfortable. “There was a reason I applied for the position with you over continued employment here.”

“Yeah, the legal contract your mom suckered you into.”

“That is not—you don’t even know what that says, so leave it alone.”

“I bet you had to marry someone if you didn’t get a job. Am I right?”

“Why would my parents wish to force such a thing? It would be inefficient and force them to support someone else as well. Don’t be absurd.”

“You’re so red right now, though. It has to be something like that, or you’d just tell us what was in the contract.”

Kent shook his head. “I can be… bothered by your assumption without it being a part of that contract.”

“I have to admit it is making me a bit curious as well,” Mr. Han said. “You mentioned it at your interview, and I ignored it, but as Ikki keeps bringing it up, it gets harder and harder to do so despite how I would normally not care.”

“It… I think it best not to have any parent who is a lawyer, and that is all there is to say about the matter.”

“Oh, it has got to be something about marriage or kids to get you to react like that,” Ikki said, and Kent glared at him. “And I notice it only became an issue after you started working here and met a certain waitress—”

“Enough, Ikkyu.”

“Fine. I’ll just have to go back to flirting with Jaehee, then.”

She stared at him. “What?”

* * *

“Oh, Sawa, you’re here,” Kokoa said, and Shin frowned. She was far too excited about that, but then she tended to take on Waka’s job when he wasn’t here—Toma used to, but he’d quit, so that left Kokoa the most senior in terms of employment—and since Shin was barely keeping his head above water in the kitchen, she probably felt stressed. Miyu was good enough at her job, but she wasn’t Sawa or Mine who’d been here for months and had the whole routine down.

“Wow, that bad?” Sawa reached up to adjust her headband. “Maybe I should have called in.”

“No,” Shin said before she could start. “We’re busy. Go do your job.”

“Wait,” Kokoa said. “I will love you forever as my best friend if you take table eight.”

“That’s the second time you’ve tried to trade it,” Miyu said as she put her load of dirty dishes into the sink. “Is it really that bad? I would have taken it, but you said seven instead. Actually, they just left, so I can do eight if you need me to.”

“No, you don’t need to have eight,” Kokoa said, and Shin looked over at her with a frown. “It’s fine, Shin. You don’t need to leave the kitchen. I can handle it, and if it does get bad, I’ll grab Ikki since he’s at table four with Kent and a couple others.”

“Ikki’s here?” Shin shook his head. He didn’t see why anyone would come back to this place if they weren’t working. He made the food, and he thought it was bad. Then again, when Kent made it, it turned out all right. Still, Ikki left to work with Kent anyway, so why come back? It was weird as hell to get served here. “And Kent?”

“Would you like Kokoa to go sweet talk one of them into helping you?” Sawa asked. “They might just do it for her.”

“No. I don’t need help. I need you three to do your jobs.”

“Ikki said they were in for your new dish, so you might prepare yourself to make at least three of them. I don’t know if that’s what they’ll all have, but he seemed to be interested in having Kent try it and the other man, too.”

“Jumin Han.”

Shin looked over at Miyu. “What?”

“Um… well… they were speaking Korean and at least one of them called him ‘Mr. Han’ and since my relatives still follow some Korean news despite leaving after the Armistice, they talk a lot about C & R. There’s two generations of Hans involved, the younger one is Jumin, and I’m pretty sure that’s what Ikki called him was Jumin and… I could be wrong. I don’t watch the news myself, so I haven’t seen pictures, but he used to make the news a lot in Korea, at least according to my relatives.”

Shin blinked, tempted to repeat himself.

“Corporate heirs are like celebrities. It’s a Korean thing. And I don’t entirely understand it, either, but then I’m only part-Korean and never actually lived there because my entire family is still afraid of invasion from the north.” Miyu winced. “Um… I have a table to finish busing. Excuse me.”

“She’s weird,” Shin said, going back to his own work. He stopped, pointing a spatula at Kokoa. “If table eight gives you any more problems—”

“I’ll get help. I promise. I need to get these drinks out to Ikki and his friends.”

* * *

“Hmm. Either Shin’s getting better at this, or he didn’t make the coffee,” Ikki said, and the waitress flushed. Jumin had to wonder if he simply could not help what he said. For some reason, he did not find it as offensive when Ikki did it as he did when his father fawned over women. Perhaps it was because Ikki was closer to his age, or perhaps it was because the women Ikki flirted with were on similar economic and social level with him, so they were not pretending to enjoy his advances for his money.

“If Waka is not working today, Shin is the only one in the kitchen and likely overworked,” Kent said. “It makes more sense for the others to assist in making the drinks.”

“Ah. Very special, then,” Ikki said. “A Kokoa cup. I like it.”

“Ikkyu.”

“Ken’s just jealous he opted for tea, trust me.”

“I made the tea, too. There’s nothing to be jealous of,” she said. Then she looked at Kent. “You like it, right? Or do I need to take it back and remake it?”

“It is sufficient.”

“That’s… is that a yes, or you’ll just put up with it because you don’t want to send it back?” She grimaced. “Okay, fine. Just give it to me. I’ll fix it.”

“I didn’t say you had to.”

“That look on your face did,” she said, holding out her hand for it. “You may only have worked here for a little while, but we all know it, and it’s almost as scary as one of Waka’s, so just give me the tea already.”

Ms. Kang almost seemed amused by this exchange. Ikki certainly was. She took the pot and left them with their drinks. Jumin sipped from his glass. This strawberry drink had potential. It was a bit too sweet for consumption in a large quantity, but it was not bad, either.

“How’s your coffee, Jaehee?”

“Very good, thank you.”

An awkward silence settled over them again. Ikki set down his cup. “I think we should go for some kind of a cafeteria and regular lunches. I know it’s still basically just us in the office right now, so it’s not a big deal, but if we invested in an espresso machine, I can make this kind of thing for us daily. Get us a cooktop, and Ken can make lunch for us.”

“Ikkyu—”

“I admit I would like to get back to a normal routine,” Jumin said, since he had yet to reestablish one following his exile to Japan. “Regular meals are important, and having to go out for them does waste some time. I have yet to find a chef I care for, but if you are as good as Ikki claims, you can be in charge of that for now, Kent.”

“I… He exaggerates.”

Jumin knew that was at least partially true, but then at least one of the meals that Ikki had exposed them to had been prepared by Kent, and it was not in anyway unsatisfactory. He would not mind testing to see if that remained true of other dishes, not that anyone else would approve of taking their lead researcher and developer away from the lab to cook, of all things. Still, the division remained small, and it was an atmosphere Jumin found appealing in many ways. He’d never been so close to his employees before, and he had never wanted to be, either. He found he did not mind it with Kent or Ikki. Kent and he were alike in some ways, making it easy to be in his presence, not like other social situations that were taxing or tedious, and Ikki was somehow part of that.

“Still, for now, perhaps—”

Jumin’s words were cut off by a scream and then another with the sound of breaking dishes. Ikki was on his feet in an instant, rushing off down the hall toward the kitchen. Kent followed after him, and Jumin needed only a moment after they’d gone to follow as well.

“Oh, Sawa, I’m so sorry,” their waitress said, biting her lip as she looked at another woman—not the one who’d seated them—Jumin did not think he’d seen her before—who was covered in broken dishes and the remains of several meals.

“It’s okay,” she said, trying to sit up.

“Careful now. You could cut yourself on all that. Let me,” Ikki said, bending down to lift her out of the mess. She blushed as he carried her off towards the other side of the restaurant, presumably to where the employees kept their belongings or perhaps the first aid kit.

“What the hell?” Another man asked, looking at the mess and then at the waitress. “Tell me this wasn’t just one of you being clumsy.”

She lowered her head, but then she jerked when she heard Kent speak.

“It is curious that you are actually trying to get out of sight of this door whereas almost everyone else is trying to see inside it. Did you have something to do with this? It is true Sawa is what one might call scatterbrained, but she is not generally clumsy. Nor is Kokoa. And you were the one sitting at table eight, weren’t you?”

“This guy do something to you?”

“I think that would seem to be the case, Shin, as there were two screams. One before she hit Sawa with the door, one after.” Kent studied the other customer, folding his arms over his chest, and then the man bolted, rushing past Jumin and Ms. Kang as he went for the door. “Perhaps Ikkyu should have stayed where he was. He could probably have caught him.”

“I’m just glad he’s gone,” she whispered, shuddering. The other waitress moved over and led her away toward the same direction where Ikki had gone with the first waitress.

Shin looked at the mess. “Damn it.”

“Does this happen often?” Jumin asked, not caring for it one bit. This place might be supposed to be some kind of fantasy, but to abuse women in such a way and have no consequences for it, that was unacceptable.

“No. Hell, no. We normally would have run him out of here first comment he made since Toma or Ikki would have been out on the floor with them, and even if they weren’t, Waka would have been and he never misses that sort of thing, but those two quit, and even Waka takes days off. I told her I’d do something about it, but she said it was fine.”

Jumin frowned. “So it is in part because Kent and Ikki now work for me that this occurred?”

“Uh,” the other man rubbed his neck. “Look, forget it. I need to clean this up and remake the food that was supposed to go out and—what the hell? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Ms. Kang looked away. “It—it’s nothing.”

“Whatever. Can you get out of my kitchen now or what?”

Jumin looked at Kent. Normally, he would use his family’s money to fix any problems, but this was one that he could not give money to.

“I can start the food if you wish to see to this,” Kent said. “I also wonder if it would not be prudent to call Waka and the other loud one.”

“Mine’s on vacation, but… yeah, calling Waka’s probably a good idea.” Shin reached for a broom. “And… um… thank you, Kent.”

* * *

“Let me see your arm,” Ikki said, and Sawa tried not to flush as he took it. She knew that he wasn’t actually flirting with her. She wasn’t part of his fan club, and even though she’d fallen under the spell of his eyes before, he wasn’t interested in her. He was just being kind and trying to help. “Looks like you got cut here. That food was fresh from the oven. You think you got burned?”

“I… maybe…?” Sawa wasn’t sure what she felt besides embarrassed. Parts of her uniform were still warm, soaked wet with sauces and other things, and she should know if she was hurt, but it had all happened so fast she still didn’t know what to think. She’d loaded up the tray, started for the door, and then she heard a scream and it swung in at her, knocking the tray all over her. She’d fallen, heard things break around her, and she screamed herself, too, she knew that, but it was so fast and then Ikki was picking her up like she was fragile—and who ever said Sawa was fragile, anyway?—and carrying her off into the other room.

Ikki sighed. “Do I really have to leave the room now?”

She frowned. “It’s not your eyes. This is different. And I even wanted to try what Kokoa did and see if I could overcome them, too, but that’s not—I don’t know why I just said that—I just—it was sudden. One second I was walking, then I was on the floor, then you picked me up and carried me in here. I haven’t had time to figure out what happened yet or how bad it was. I think it was more the dishes than me, but… it’s hard to tell with my uniform still wet and I’m lying on this couch and…”

She couldn’t finish. She felt stupid. She probably looked it, too.

“I’ll get the first aid kit for the cut, and we’ll have to see about the rest. You only have the one uniform, right?”

“Just the one. Two aprons just in case, but only the one uniform.” Sawa would either have to work in this nasty one or go home. She had just gotten here, too, and she could tell Kokoa was run ragged already. She deserved to go home.

“We’ll have to figure something out.”

The door opened, so she couldn’t ask him what he meant by that. Miyu helped Kokoa inside, and Ikki frowned.

“Did you get hurt, too?”

Kokoa shuddered. Miyu winced, guiding her over to the other chair. “Just sit for now, okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine,” Ikki told her, and Sawa nodded. “You look worse than Sawa, and she’s the one that fell and got food dumped all over her. What happened?”

“Something to do with the guy at table eight.”

Ikki rose. “Did he touch you? I swear I’ll—”

“Kent scared him off,” Kokoa said, wrapping her arms around herself. “He didn’t actually get a chance to do anything, but he… startled me, and I hit Sawa with the door trying to get away from him, but like I said, Ikki, he’s gone. You don’t have to worry about him.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Ikki said. “We all looked out for you ladies before. Where’s Toma? Isn’t he watching the front these days when Waka isn’t?”

“Toma quit,” Sawa said. “And don’t go blaming Shin. He offered, but Kokoa said it was fine.”

Ikki shook his head. “I still don’t like it.”

“Maybe not,” Miyu said, and he looked at her, a bit surprised by her boldness, “but you’re not helping, and Sawa can’t change with you in here, so you should probably go back out with your friends.”

“We’ll take care of her,” Sawa told him, and Ikki nodded, though he still looked upset by this. She hoped he wouldn’t go do anything stupid.

* * *

“She could stop staring at me already. What is it, the hair? Or did you jerks tell her about my dad?”

Kent shook his head, flipping the omelet in the pan and lowering the heat before looking over at Ms. Kang and Mr. Han, who were still in the kitchen, looking somewhat awkward as they stood there. True, Mr. Han had a way of appearing at ease to most others when he was far from it, but he was still uncomfortable, and it did not seem Ms. Kang felt like she could return to the table alone.

“None of us has mentioned any such thing about your father, nor would we. Nor, I suspect, would Ms. Kang care about that.”

“I cleaned up the mess. Washed my hands. All of this is up to health code standards again. Not you, since that’s not the correct uniform, so what the hell is with the staring? He’s not staring. Not at me, at least. He’s doing that creepy stare off into space thing. She’s staring at me, though. I know she’s not staring at you. She knows you, and she’d be looking over my head.”

“You are not that much shorter than I am.”

“Kent, losing that tray did cost me another fifteen minutes at least, but that doesn’t mean I want to put up with you being you right now.”

Kent nodded. They did not actually work together that well, as their personalities tended to create more problems than solutions, and Shin had his way of cooking that was done ‘to taste’ whereas Kent was always inclined to follow every recipe to the letter. He had not made many friends during his short tenure here as a cook.

He turned to prepare some more ingredients, keeping his back to Ms. Kang. “It is not my place to say this, but I believe she is watching because of her language skills.”

“What?”

“Ms. Kang is not as fluent as Mr. Han in Japanese. She lacks some basic comprehension as well as any idiomatic understanding, and she can’t always understand it when it’s spoken in a hurry, as is true of any language student and Ikkyu’s ability with Korean, even mine to a degree. So she watches as we speak. It’s a common practice, perhaps even more so with ones who have some experience with lip reading or hearing loss. I believe she does know some sign language, though she has never expressly said, nor have I asked.”

“Oh.”

The door to the employee area opened, and Ikkyu stepped out, his expression grim. He looked over at them and frowned.

“It seemed expedient to offer my assistance, and you were quite occupied.”

“You chased that bastard off?”

“I noticed a man who seemed to be trying to avoid being seen by us and spoke to him. When I commented on his seating position as I recalled what Kokoa said about the one at that table being a creep, a theory did form in my head, but he ran before he could be questioned further. Did she tell you what happened?”

“That he didn’t get to do anything but he scared her so she bumped into Sawa to get away from him. It… Damn it. I feel almost like this is my fault. I quit, so I’m not watching the front anymore, and I know that accounting is what I wanted to do, but I’m not even that necessary for what you’re doing right now, so I could have stayed for longer.”

“Seriously? Do you feel the need to blame yourself for everything in the universe or what?”

“I don’t know, Shin. You still carrying that chip on your shoulder over what your dad did?”

“Do not even start,” Kent said, refusing to let them rile each other. That was not necessary and certainly not productive. “If we are no longer needed here, we should leave.”

“Yeah, Jaehee looks really stressed, and he’s doing the staring into space thing. Looks like today was a bust. We’ll have to get some kind of food on the way back to the office.”

“Yes.”

* * *

Jumin settled back into the car, still feeling the absence of Driver Kim. He would much rather have him do this for them than some stranger he did not know. Of course, Kent and Ikki had both offered to do the driving for trips such as this one, and in some ways, it would make sense. Both men knew the area and could navigate it with ease, having frequently mentioned shortcuts or alternative routes that would save time at certain hours. Still, that seemed wrong to have them do, even if they had offered. They were not chauffeurs. That was not their job.

Nor was Kent a chef, though Jumin had been tempted to let him work as one for a bit, or Ikki since he claimed to have some skill at it, too. He was a people person, and he likely was quite popular as a server.

“I am sorry again about lunch.”

“You could not have known that this would happen, Ikkyu, and though I hesitate to agree with Shin, you do not need to take the blame for everything.”

“Still, we didn’t get to eat, and poor Jaehee looks so frazzled right now. I bet she didn’t get breakfast again. We have to do something about this.” Ikki sighed. “I can’t go back, but I feel bad about leaving the girls to that kind of crap.”

“I agree, but you are not responsible for that man’s actions.”

“No, but no woman should be treated that way,” Jumin said. “That other man, the one with the odd hair, he said it was because they lacked male staff.”

“He did seem to be the only male working.”

“Well, I think they’ll be prying Waka out of that place on a stretcher, but even he gets days off. So… it was just bad timing, I guess.”

“Hmm.”

“You seem troubled. Ikkyu already apologized for the meal, so it is not that. I know Shin’s manner is gruff, but he has a good work ethic. And the cafe is not normally a mess, though you have been pensive all day, so… Is it to do with the business?”

Kent did seem to be annoyingly perceptive at times, for all he claimed to lack social skills. Though in this case, he was not completely accurate. Jumin had wanted a distraction from thoughts of his father and the cause of this exile, and he certainly had them now.

“I believe if the concern is that the lack of male staff is the cause of this excess bad behavior towards the female staff that something must be done about it.”

“Mr. Han, you aren’t planning on buying the cafe, are you?”

Jumin did not have the same access to money as he’d had before, though he thought he liked that idea. “It might not be a bad idea in the long run, but my main thought was that the same kind of interference could happen through the presence of regular male patrons who were not of the inappropriate sort.”

Assistant Kang stared at him. “What?”

“Oh,” Ikki said, leaning back in his seat. “You have a point, but… you really want to go back? I mean, Ken and I are all for it because those ladies are our friends, maybe like sisters or… well, not sisters, not if you know what I mean—”

“Ikkyu.”

“You wish to become a regular patron to protect those women?” Kang asked as though Jumin had just said something completely insane.

Perhaps he had. His time in Japan had clearly affected him, but Jumin was not entirely certain he disliked the change.

“Yes. I am.”


	2. The Job Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jumin meets Kent for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, this was done in order with Jumin going from the scene where his father exiled him to Japan to his attempts to start the division, but it was bit... awkward. Still, I have this scene from then, and it kind of doesn't have a place at the moment.

* * *

“Mr. Han, your eleven-thirty interview is here early,” Assistant Kang reported, and Jumin looked up from his desk. He’d spent the morning eliminating more applicants, and he didn’t even remember an interview on his schedule for today, as he didn’t think any of them were worth seeing in person.

“They are?”

She closed the door behind her. “You said to contact any of the ones with any real qualifications or language skills in Korean and schedule an appointment for as soon as they were available. This one said he could come today.”

Jumin did remember giving her those instructions, but he hadn’t thought they had any such person. She crossed to his desk and passed him the folder. He glanced at the stack inside it. “What is all this?”

“I was able to get his thesis off the internet and printed it out, though I didn’t have a chance to give it to you after the trouble with the front door.”

Jumin grimaced. He did not want to think about that. He skimmed the resume and frowned. “Why is someone this overqualified applying for this position?”

“He didn’t say. Should I bring him in now or wait until eleven-thirty?”

“Send him now,” Jumin said. No point in waiting for something better to come along.

She nodded, going back to the door. Opening it, she spoke too loudly, allowing Jumin to hear her from his desk. “Mr. Han can see you now.”

He did not hear the response to her words, which almost pleased him. Perhaps this one would not have a terrible voice, or at least understood the proper speaking volume.

“Thank you,” he said to Assistant Kang, and she nodded, looking a bit flustered as she shut the door. She was rather small in comparison to him, as this one stood over six feet tall and looked rather imposing. Were he being hired for security, Jumin might have given him the job for his appearance alone. “I apologize for arriving early, but I did not want to risk being late by taking the next train.”

Jumin was never late in Korea thanks to Driver Kim, but Driver Kim had not been exiled with him, only Assistant Kang, and she did seem to hate him for it.

“If it had been an issue, Assistant Kang would not have permitted you entry.”

“Naturally, though I believe I did make the proper apology under the circumstances.”

Jumin nodded. “Please have a seat, Mr. Mizutani, and tell me why you are interested in working for our company.”

“Ah,” Mizutani began. He took a breath and looked at his hands for a moment. “I… Oh. There is no good way to say this, I do not think. Someone more adept than I might have a ‘spin’ for it, but the facts are rather simple… I leveraged too much of my future plans on studying abroad in London as my father had done before me and only seemed prudent and in line with my long term goals only to have my presentation… fail. Completely and utterly, leading to me being rejected as a candidate and somewhat at a loss as to what to do now that my graduate studies have concluded. I could continue to pursue my doctorate, and I likely will, but as my last agreement with my parents—which is unfortunately quite legally binding as my mother is a lawyer—stipulated that if I did not find employment post my graduate studies—well, those terms should rather stay between us, but the point is that I am expected to work now. I would very much prefer an opportunity like this over my friend’s suggestion that I join him in a themed cafe.”

Jumin frowned. “That was quite… honest of you.”

The other man grimaced. “I suppose I should not have been so… forthcoming. I have never cared for deception, though, and it is best to start all interactions honestly.”

“That is admirable,” Jumin agreed. He was tired of the applicants he’d gotten who tried to lie and conceal that their only interest in this position was the possibility of exploiting it, since Jumin knew he was a joke now and no one took this division seriously besides him and Assistant Kang. “The reason for your project failing?”

The other man removed his glasses, taking a cloth out and cleaning them. “The circumstances would rather seem like some kind of comedy of errors, and I think describing it would seem like… It is such a ridiculous series of events, it should be fiction and yet was my life. Ikkyu still apologizes daily, though I do not know that he is at fault for the actions of his fan club.”

Jumin blinked. “Fan club?”

“As I said, the circumstances are… bizarre. In short, I was being assisted by Ikkyu when his fan club decided to crowd him, somehow that lead to one of them breaking the facility’s computer while my slides were being prepared, and my entire project was a loss as the math lab nearly burned down.” Mizutani finished cleaning his glasses and replaced them on his face. “Though Ikkyu’s fan club has caused problems before, nothing on this scale had ever happened and I believe it will not happen again. Ikkyu has assured me he’d disband the fan club because of it, though I can understand how such an event would seem like a draw back to my employment… anywhere. It did cost Ikkyu his internship as well, which I think was somewhat excessive.”

“Is he in research as well?”

“Economics and accounting, actually.”

They did need someone for that, too. That would come later, assuming he could get someone hired for the main part of the work. “And would you consider yourself qualified for this position?”

“Overqualified, despite my general lack of practical experience. Someone with a lesser degree could possibly manage it, and while I have never formally worked in a lab environment before, I grew up in one as my house has always doubled as one due to my father’s research. Admittedly, I know there seems to be a disconnect between what is on the paper of my application and my in person presentation, but I do not feel that my lack of social grace is in any way indicative of my skills.”

Jumin nodded. That might well be true, though he would need to be able to work with others to some degree. “And you speak Korean?”

“Not fluently. I focused on English as that was where I intended to spend my time after my graduate studies, but my mother was in international law for a while, and she encouraged me to learn other languages as well. I could never fully translate any of her documents.”

The language of the law was different. Jumin knew that, but Mizutani was one of the only ones who did have any experience with Korean.

“I suppose it did help that Ikkyu and I worked on it together for a time.”

“Your friend speaks Korean?”

“Again, not fluently, but as I was creating math puzzles for him in Korean as it was what I was studying at the time, he was somewhat forced to learn.”

Jumin felt a bit strange hearing that. That sort of friendship was not something he had ever known, not even with V. They were friends from childhood, but would he ever have learned another language for V or vice versa?

“This project is very much in the developmental stages. I’d like to see a proposal of what you might suggest going forward with practical measures. Do you think you can make one?”

“In Japanese or Korean?”

Jumin was curious about the response he’d get to this answer. “Korean.”

“Very well. What is the time limit?”

“Tomorrow.”

“That is not much time.”

“I do not intend to waste it,” Jumin said. “Either you can make something or you can’t.”

“I will have something by tomorrow.”


	3. Jumin, Kent, and Ikki friendship Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friendship moments between Jumin and Kent and also Ikki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started jumping around after a while because I couldn't stick with the story in a linear way, but since it was motivated in part by developing real friendships for Jumin, I wrote these scenes.

* * *

“Mr. Han?”

Jumin looked up from his papers with a frown, not sure how he’d missed Kent entering his office. He knew from watching Kent with his friend that the man could be quite silent when he moved, enough to resemble very much whatever dangerous character he seemed to be portraying when he and Ikki had those math duels of theirs, but as Kent usually knocked before entering into Jumin’s office, this was a surprise.

“Is there a problem?” Jumin knew it was not time for the report—that he got in the morning to summarize any progress finished the day before and he had already received it today—so it was strange to see Kent here now. In those first few days when they had not yet assigned Kent’s workspace or hired Ikki, he had spent more time in the same areas as Jumin, but not as much anymore.

“No. Well, that is to say, I am not certain. Ikkyu believes there is, given what I mentioned to him that I had observed in your recent behavior, and he is more at ease socially, understanding others in ways I do not and frankly do not have time to bother with, but I did think that some of those behaviors might not be—that is—Ikkyu has some theories, the main one being that you are lonely.”

Jumin stared at Kent. That was unexpected and also a bit irritating. “You two discuss me behind my back? I thought I made it clear you could express your grievances with me openly and honestly, not spread rumors like—”

“Ikkyu, of course, for all his exploits with women and the fan club, is gripped by a ‘crippling’ loneliness as he continues this seemingly endless cycle of meaningless relationships that do not last because he believes he cannot find love due to his ‘condition’ and is often quick to see such loneliness in others—he has often expressed such sentiments to me, that I am lonelier than I will ever admit and that my relationship with my parents, well-intentioned as they may have been—damaged me in ways I do not even understand. I think that is an exaggeration—my parents have always provided for me, made sure I had adequate housing, clothing that fit well and was appropriate for the weather, and sufficient nutrition. I was educated well, and they never hesitated to indulge my interest in learning. Ikkyu feels, however, that their lack of demonstrated feelings towards me or even each other and dependence on logic caused me some harm.”

Jumin frowned. It was true Kent was very logical and tended to be as methodical as he was practical, but Jumin had always found that rather admirable. He did not favor letting emotions compromise work, and Kent never did. However, as much as he was currently now very upset with his father and had never liked how many women the man dated, he had never doubted his father’s love for him. Ikki’s suggestion made it seem like Kent had never experienced parental love from either of his parents.

“As I said, I believe Ikkyu is exaggerating. I merely elucidated some on the manner in how he did to explain why he did reach this conclusion, though I suppose it does not negate the fact that we were discussing you when you were not present. I am afraid I was indulging in that habit of mine to imagine unpleasant scenarios, and in this case they did involve you. I… That sounds worse than it is. It is simply that… I am more aware of others in this new working environment than I was in my past research. If that is a problem—”

“No.” Jumin knew of few people who had any kind of genuine interest in him as a person, and while he doubted that was what Kent was expressing, he did not believe Kent was gossiping with Ikki, only that he’d noticed something and puzzled over it the way he did almost everything, at least as far as Jumin could tell.

“Very well. I… I put forth the theory that it could simply be stress,” Kent said. “The change in environment from your native Korea, trying to build a division out of nothing, and this dynamic here in the office I expect is much different from what you knew before, particularly where Ikkyu and I are concerned as we have both been told multiple times that we are weird or strange if not outright insane. I do not agree with such assertions, but having seen Ms. Kang at work, I believe she feels our actions are often unprofessional even when we are discussing matters relating to the project and not just because Ikkyu flirts with her often.”

Jumin could not deny that. Working with Ikki and Kent was far different from being a part of the main corporate office of C & R. “It is possible.”

“To that end, I would like to offer you this,” Kent said, holding out a packet of papers. “It may be of no use to you at all, but I have found that my own stress can be lessened or even appear to vanish if I am sufficiently absorbed in solving a complex math puzzle, and while few can challenge me, I also can find that solace in creating them for others. I have included several of various levels of difficulty for you, as I do not know how much of a challenge you would enjoy, but I believe you are more than capable of solving any of the ones I chose, even if some may frustrate you a great deal.”

“You made this?”

“I did not do it during work hours, and I admit some of those puzzles are pulled from others I created in the past for assignments, professors, or Ikkyu. They are at least similar, so I cannot deny that Ikkyu would likely be able to solve them based off the memory of the ones like them, but that does not mean… I simply hoped this might help if it was stress. Ikkyu said it might even help with the loneliness, as I do not make such overtures of friendship for anyone, but that is—you can overlook that last statement. I am aware you are my employer and not—”

“Thank you,” Jumin said, looking down at the papers and feeling strange. When was the last time anyone had ever made anything for him? His father bought him gifts. His stepmother and other women tried to bribe him. V had given him photographs and Elizabeth the third, but had anyone actually made him something before? He did not mean meals prepared by his chef. This was… Most people would call it a lousy gift, but Jumin was… truly touched by what Kent had done for him.

“I hope it helps,” Kent said with a smile. Then he grimaced. “Ikkyu has claimed we’re going out to a karaoke bar tonight, so I need to leave before he can find me and make good on that threat, but if you need anything, please let me know.”

Jumin nodded. He did not know that he had any interest in doing these puzzles, but he still found it hard to let go of this rare, handmade present that he’d been given. Kent had no ulterior motive, at least none that Jumin could see, and that made this odd present rather special.

He ended up holding onto it for far longer than he’d admit to anyone.

* * *

“Something seems to be on your mind.”

Jumin grimaced. “Am I that obvious?”

“Perhaps not to someone who has not been working with you almost non-stop for the past few months, but as I have and you seem to have become somewhat comfortable discussing non-work matters with me of late, yes,” Kent said, still not entirely sure he wanted to have as many discussions about the other man’s cat as he did, though Ikkyu insisted that meant their employer was simply lonely, and he considered himself an expert on that matter. “And that is a different bottle of wine than the one you opened earlier.”

“It is.” Jumin looked at his glass. “It is nothing.”

“Your father called?”

“Your perception is too good. Sometimes I do think hiring you might have been a mistake, even if you are mostly responsible for the success of this division so far.”

“Considering that the division currently consists of myself, Ikkyu, you, and Ms. Kang, I am not entirely certain that is a compliment.” Kent saw a faint smile on the other man’s lips, but it was clear his spirits were still low, like Ikkyu’s. “Is he still concerned over the fact that we have not expanded further? As yet, I see no need, as we are still in the developmental stages and I dislike having others disrupt my work.”

“That’s not true. You and Ikki were having another mock duel this morning.”

“I apologize again for the unprofessional behavior. It is a bit of a routine now to deliver puzzles or results with some… fanfare, though I had thought it was before working hours, so it should not have been—”

“That is not it.” Jumin shook his head. “I dislike this… emotion I sense. It is foolish, and I do not know why I am wasting my time on it. Yet… I envy the two of you your interactions like that. I used to think my friendship with V was close and special, and yet it does not seem to have the same depth as yours for all you call yourselves archrivals and not best friends.”

Kent supposed that was difficult for an outsider to understand. “Do you wish to speak of what your father said? I admit, Ikkyu is the better listener, but I am currently available.”

“Apparently, the news coverage of my supposed… relationship is over, and I can be allowed back in Korea so long as I make sure that I am seen in public with at least one woman if not several.”

Kent shook his head. “That seems unwise.”

“Unwise?”

“Excessively foolish and far more insensitive than I have ever been. The fact that I recognize that insensitivity for what it is—that speaks volumes in of itself. Ikkyu might even be provoked to violence on your behalf.”

“That I do not understand. Why would he do that for me? I’ve been called an emotionless robot. And a terrible boss. Assistant Kang hates me.”

“Her opinion of you did seem quite strong prior to you hiring Ikkyu, yes, but she has mellowed some due to his presence and habit of flattering her to excess. She may not understand why Ikkyu would be angry on your behalf, but if we are talking about emotionless robots… which one of us is the kettle and which is the pot?”

Jumin managed another small smile. “I see your point. And that… it is actually part of why I would prefer to stay, as much as I thought I missed everything back in Korea. That, and if I go back now, before we actually have a product, those rumors will follow me forever. It won’t matter that I came back with a woman. I was sent off to hide my shame and that will not conceal it, even if there is nothing to conceal.”

“True, it should not be any concern of anyone else’s, though I have noticed that does seem to be all some people can discuss, whether it is Ikkyu’s excessive dating or them misconstruing our friendship or something like that student who wanted me to identify as asexual for reasons I do not entirely understand. Something about representation and pride, and she was very put out when I refused to do so, as I do not actually consider myself that. If you listen to Ikkyu, of course, I have a crush on one of his former coworkers—you know the one I mean and—this conversation is not useful.”

“It may not be, but it is strange… talking to you does seem to help.”

“Ikkyu says the same. I do not know why.”

“I have not figured it out, either, but I do feel… better, having had this small conversation. I thought I knew that I wasn’t going back to Korea. I told my father I’d consider it since we hadn’t gotten out of the developmental stage, but I was stalling for time. I don’t want to go back. Not like this. Maybe in triumph, having a successful product and being ready to take it to market there after a proven test here, but not before.”

“I would say that is best for several reasons. And I am not only speaking of my own employment, though it would be dishonest to say it was not a consideration.”

Jumin smiled. “I think that might be why it is so refreshing to talk to you.”

* * *

“Kent?”

The other man looked up from his desk, pushing back his glasses and frowning slightly at Jumin. Of course he would feel that something was wrong. Jumin was his employer, so it wasn’t likely he’d come down to Kent’s lab without a good reason.

Except he had. He was here right now for some very, very foolish reasons.

It was all that woman’s fault. She’d put the idea in his head, and he’d spent a restless night considering everything, and in the end, he felt he owed Elizabeth the third not only an apology but an end to this matter. So he was here. His experience as a director had now failed him, and he didn’t know what to say.

No, no, this was simple. The direct approach was best in most cases, and this was no different.

“Is something the matter? I know you seemed distressed over your last phone call from your father, and I know there was some concern there, not just on the part of Ikkyu or myself because it does always seem to put our employment into question but more than that there are other factors as well as other parties and—”

“Would you consider us friends?”

Kent blinked, sitting back in his chair. “Oh. I…”

“I see. You do not.” Jumin was surprised by how much that simple reaction—one to be expected, truly—actually seemed to hurt, like that knot inside him was getting tighter and tighter and he couldn’t breathe. “That is all I need to know.”

“I don’t actually believe it is.”

Jumin stopped, looking back at him. “What do you mean?”

“Ikkyu does.” Kent swallowed. “See us as friends, I mean. I… I admit that before him, I did not know what friendship was. Nor do I completely understand all of it now. Emotions are still not something I find… quantifiable. I have been doing some small research into the matter as of late, there have been a significant amount of conflicting feelings. That is not to say that I—perhaps it is simply Ikkyu teasing me as usual, but I did feel I had to look at the possibility that there was something more than a slight chemical reaction to stimulus and—”

“You think you’re in love with that girl at Meido No Hitsuji?”

Kent tensed. “I… I do not know. That isn’t even the matter for discussion unless you are somehow wanting to bring up your own fascination with the other waitress which is borderline excessive as well.”

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, you two are so cute when you don’t understand emotions,” Ikki said as he came into the lab. “Since you clearly need my help with this—yes, Ken, you are so in love with Kokoa you two are going to end up eloping once you finally admit it to yourselves and each other. And Jumin… that girl likes your sense of humor. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is. And you love her almost as much as you love your cat, so I say go for it.”

“Ikkyu—”

“I find it hard to believe that this kind of response is the action of a friend,” Jumin observed, frowning, and Ikki started laughing. Kent sighed and removed his glasses, wiping them on his shirt.

“I believe Ikkyu is about to tell you he wants the best for you. For both of us. Which in his mind includes meddling in our love lives.”

“Hey, someone should be happy even if it’s not me.”

Kent put his glasses back on. “I believe you are acerbating your situation by sticking to this three months nonsense.”

“I agree,” Jumin said, and Ikki frowned at him. “No, Kent’s right. Try dating someone who has nothing to do with your fan club, and don’t put any limits on the relationship. If you want forever, you must be open to it. Otherwise you are perpetuating the cycle and dooming yourself to failure before you even start.”

“Exactly.”

“Are you two ganging up on me now? That’s not fair,” Ikki said, mock pouting. “Fine. But we’re going drinking tonight.”

“What?”

“No.”

“I have to find my girl that’s no part of the fan club, remember?”

“That does not require our presence.”

“Agreed.”

Ikki folded his arms over his chest. “Okay, I take it back. You two aren’t allowed to be friends. Nope, nope, nope. It’s just not fair.”

“You are being childish.”

Jumin found himself about to agree and started laughing instead. Right. So this was friendship.

He liked it.

And Miyu was right. He was fortunate to have found Kent and Ikki and to now be able to call them friends.


	4. Jumin and MC Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jumin encounters a certain waitress on her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did also want to explore a bit what a relationship might be like for Jumin without the RFA and all the stuff surrounding it that led to him meeting the MC. These scenes were how that relationship developed in another way.

* * *

“Is it your dad again?” Ikki asked, shaking his head. “Don’t. I know he’s the head of the company and all, but don’t. Have Jaehee answer it and take a message because you’re in an important meeting.”

Assistant Kang frowned, clearly disliking his suggestion. “I cannot do that. We are not in a meeting. We are no longer even eating our meal.”

Kent grimaced. “I admit I find Ikkyu’s more… emotional response to be the favorable one in this situation even as much as I am aware of the possible repercussions and the necessity of responding to summons from someone who is both employer and elder, in this case, your father. However, it is your decision to make.”

Jumin nodded, reluctantly removing himself from their table as he prepared to take the call when it came again. He made his way to the back alley the employees favored and leaned against the brick of the building. He could only avoid his father for so long, and to continue to do so could make his situation that much worse and put the employment of all the others in jeopardy. Previously, Jumin was not certain he would have cared about that, at least not in the same way he did now, since he did work as closely with Kent and Ikki as he did. Even Kang with her annoying voice was of some kind of importance to him, and Jumin did not want to see any of them unemployed.

Was this… friendship? Had he somehow managed to cultivate such a thing with his employees? With commoners?

He shook his head as he checked the message his father had left.

“ _The new division seems promising. I expect a full report when I visit next week._ _I have someone you should meet.”_

Jumin grimaced. That meant another new girlfriend, and his father must be foolishly attached to this one if he was bringing her along on a business trip. Jumin had no interest in seeing either of them. He didn’t think he would call him back.

“Oh, there you are.”

He stiffened, not wanting to see anyone at present, except perhaps Elizabeth the third, but after a moment, he realized that the waitress was not speaking to him. She was not the one they considered Kent’s favorite, nor the one that might be Ikki’s, but the other one, the one who spoke Korean as well as Japanese.

She knelt, holding out a small bit of food to a small black cat, not fully grown, though not quite a kitten anymore. “That’s it. Take it. Don’t worry. There aren’t any spices this time.”

Jumin watched her coax it to eat and then another cat joined the first, this one a bit bolder, since it jumped up into her lap and went for her face as she tried to feed the black one. She laughed, setting it down as she reached into her pocket for a napkin, setting it on the ground as four more cats rushed over.

She made sure each of them had a bit of food, stopping to pet and speak to every one of the cat, taking special care to be sure that none of them stole the food from the smaller black one. Jumin knew he was staring, but he couldn’t look away from her. Though he did his best to see to it that all cats had good care, he rarely saw someone so openly affectionate and giving with them. He knew that almost everyone thought his own affection for Elizabeth the third was excessive and even insane.

This woman intrigued him. Was this kind of kindness really so unusual as he’d experienced? Or was it simply a product of the world he’d been born into?

She stood, dusting off her apron and sighing. “That’s all I’ve got for today. Don’t worry. Kokoa’s closing, and she always has something for you.”

So perhaps it wasn’t that uncommon. Interesting to know that Kent’s “favorite” also cared for these poor creatures. That spoke to her character, and it made more sense that Kent might be interested in such a person.

The waitress saw Jumin and swallowed. “Um… I do… it’s not against sanitation rules, I swear. I always wash my hands after I feed them, and there’s a plastic liner to all our pockets so that the crumbs can easily be cleaned out—that was Sawa’s idea, though she really messed up trying to sew them in—and it’s not a health code violation. It isn’t. They don’t come inside. I wish they could, but… They don’t.”

Jumin frowned. That was what she thought he was concerned about? “Are there truly so many cats without shelter?”

She nodded. “Oh, yes. Sadly. I mean, it’s the city, so strays end up in a lot of places, but not everyone thinks highly of cats, so they don’t always help them. My building won’t allow cats, actually, or I’d take some home with me. They allow dogs—it’s extra, but they’re permitted—but no cats. I want to move, but until my lease is up and I can afford a better place… well… Oh, but I suppose you don’t care about that.”

Jumin shook his head. He showed her the background on his phone. “This is Elizabeth the third. She is… everything to me.”

“Oh, she’s gorgeous,” the woman said, her face lighting with another smile that made her seem almost as lovely as Elizabeth. “I love her name. It’s so perfect. She’s very regal. Oh, this one here, the shy black one, he’s Panther. That was Sawa hoping it would kind of empower him so he’d be less timid. This orange tabby here is Garfield, like the comic and because he’ll eat everything if given half a chance. This white one is Zen, he’s a real show off, and the calico is Patchwork. Kokoa named this little gray Orion—he’s a character. And Mine still calls this one Ikki—not for any good reason—and we haven’t come up with an alternative while she’s been gone on vacation.”

Jumin knelt to pet the black one. “Panther, hmm?”

“None of us are as good at naming as you are.”

He laughed, shaking his head as Orion came up to sniff him. “I didn’t name Elizabeth the third, though it is a perfect name, that will always be true.”

“Oh.” She blushed. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed.”

“It’s fine. I am glad you liked her name.” Jumin smiled again as Orion tried to climb up his shoulder. A character indeed. “I must apologize. I forgot yours.”

“Miyu.”

“That is also a nice name. I am Jumin Han.”

“It’s very nice to finally meet you, Mister Han.”

In spite of how he would normally handle this situation, he shook his head again. “Jumin, please.”

“Okay, then. Jumin. It’s nice to meet you. I hope I can meet Elizabeth the third, too.”

“I’d like that,” he said, and to his surprise, he genuinely meant it.

* * *

Though he knew he could have ordered food into his hotel room and spent the evening in his own room with Elizabeth the third, Jumin found himself once again at Meido No Hitsuji, alone again. He supposed he could have contacted someone if he was lonely. Though it might seem desperate, he knew he could at least count on Kent for a math problem to take his mind off things if nothing else, but Jumin did think he relied a little too much on Kent already. The man was his lead researcher, and all of their success so far owed itself to Kent’s efforts. In addition, Kent had brought them their accountant and even sometimes provided their meals.

With V essentially MIA since Jumin was exiled to Japan, he supposed Kent was the closest thing he had to what others would call a friend. Jumin had never thought it would matter so much, but having his close ties with his father severed and then V also disappearing on him, Jumin had no one but Elizabeth to rely on until he hired Kent.

A part of Jumin thought it would be best to go back and reestablish the firm boundaries of employer and employee, but every time he considered such an option, he felt a tight constriction in his chest and refused to do it. Kent was a logical person, with proper manners, and if he did not see a conflict there, Jumin had no reason to change things now.

“Welcome back, Jumin,” a voice said in Korean, and he blinked to find the waitress bowing to him. He frowned, but then behind her was that manager who put Kent and Ikki’s combined stealth to shame. “You are alone tonight?”

He nodded, wondering if the manager did actually understand Korean given the way he was watching them. He knew she wasn’t behaving completely according to script, but none of them did with him or his usual companions, since the others were former coworkers.

“Please sit over here,” she said, still far too formal for his liking. He took his seat, glancing over to see that the manager had disappeared into the kitchen. She seemed to be aware of that, too, because she relaxed her posture. “Are you… all right? You don’t usually come in for dinner as well as lunch, but you have for the past three days. I think we all know that the food here isn’t that appealing, and while I know Ikki does come in extra to watch out for us, we haven’t had any problems since that day Kent scared off that guy who kept insisting that Kokoa give him… cocoa. I know he was all cool and logical about it, but he managed to scare that man more than I think Waka would have, which is kind of impressive. And what Ikki did for Sawa… well, I don’t think anyone will try anything any time soon.”

Jumin was aware of that, and yet he had come anyway. He felt he did not want to do any true analysis as to why he had done so. He did know it was not for the food, nor was it the ambiance. “I was concerned about the cats.”

“Oh, that’s sweet of you. I think they’re doing much better now since you asked Kent for a shelter that they could use until they were adopted. The design he and Ikki made is just wonderful. They seem so happy there. I’m even a bit jealous. It looks like a lot of fun.”

“You wish to play on their cat tree?”

“Well, I would if I were the right size. I think it would be a problem if I did it like I am,” she said, and he found himself smiling.

“You seem an appropriate size for anything, though you would be a very attractive cat. Perhaps not as beautiful as Elizabeth the third, but close, perhaps.”

She flushed. “Well, thank you. I’m very flattered considering how beautiful she is.”

“You are? The last person I said something even remotely similar to tried to hit me.” He considered that. “Then again, I did also say she _couldn’t_ compare to Elizabeth. She seemed to take offense to being less than a cat, but I fail to see why.”

Miyu laughed. “It is actually adorable that you don’t. It shouldn’t be, but it is.”

“You find ignorance adorable?”

“No.” She shook her head quickly. “I just meant… Oh, it’s nothing. Can I get you something to drink since you’re here and if I don’t ask, Waka will come back and glare at me if he’s not already?”

Jumin nodded. “Yes. That special blend that Kent created.”

She smiled at him and hurried off to get his drink. Jumin sat back in his chair and frowned, having the unpleasant suspicion that the reason he kept coming back here was not the cats at all but her.

* * *

“Can I ask you something?” Jumin found the words coming out of his mouth before he could stop himself, and when she looked back at him, he added, “You do not have to answer, of course.”

She smiled. “I don’t mind. I just didn’t think you’d be as curious about me as I am of you.”

He supposed she wasn’t that different from so many. His family was still famous in Korea, even if he was here in exile. “I didn’t say I would answer your questions.”

“Oh, you probably will.” She grinned as he frowned at her. “If I ask about Elizabeth, you will.”

He found himself laughing. This woman did actually know him rather well, didn’t she? And yet they were still strangers, loosely connected and only just acquainted through her presence here where his employees used to work.

“And if I asked you why this job?”

Miyu reached into her pocket, taking out some food and holding it out to the cats that had started to gather around her. “I suppose because it was available.”

“That’s all?”

She shook her head. “No, of course not. It’s just… my parents didn’t really want me to work when I was at home. It wasn’t until I came here for school that I had a place of my own and the need to make my own way. I wasn’t even sure where to start, honestly, but since I had a few classes with Kokoa and Sawa and they both work here, they told me about this place. It’s a little weird, but everyone’s nice—yes, even Shin, don’t make that face—and I like it here. It helps that I get to spend time with these cats.”

“Yes. That does seem to be quite the incentive. I should implement a policy to allow cats in the workplace. Then I could have Elizabeth with me. I like this idea. Thank you.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You did. You gave me a wonderful idea. I need to talk to Kent about this. He’ll want to designate space and allocate the time, and of course Ikki will be in and out of that area all the time. It may be too stressful for Elizabeth, but she seems so lonely at the hotel… Yes, we should start making plans now. Then I won’t have to see her sad face tomorrow when I leave for work. And Kent and Ikki can make another one of these… ‘trees’ for the cats at the office, and we will have to find a place for—What is it? You are looking at me strangely?”

“Am I?” She flushed. “Um… Well… it’s just… you’re cute when you’re making plans.”

“I… Cute?”

“Yes. Very.” She smiled again. “I think it’s so admirable that you like cats and how much you will do for them. You have a very generous heart, Jumin.”

“You are the first to think so. Most I meet believe I am… stingy and unwilling to part with a cent because I won’t buy them designer gifts or simply because I mention my own belongings.”

“Those people weren’t looking at the real Jumin Han,” she said, picking up the black cat and carrying it over to him. “If they knew the real you, if they bothered to find out how wonderful you are, they’d know you are very generous to the ones who can’t possibly hope to pay you back but also have never ever demanded it of you. Well, they’re cats, and some beg, but… that doesn’t make them like people who assume that someone they know with money will pay for everything.”

He ran his fingers over the cat’s ears, listening to it purr as it rubbed against his hand. “Perhaps that is why cats are so appealing. They are plain about what they want and need and do not pretend at affection to get more than you are willing to give.”

“There are people like that, too,” she told him. “Some of them are hard to find, but you got lucky. You’ve got Kent and Ikki, and they’re wonderful friends to have. And that kind of makes you a part of the Meido No Hitsuji family now, so… welcome.”

She smiled at Jumin again, and he found himself struggling against the urge to kiss her like they were in some kind of melodrama.


End file.
